People in competitive societies exhibit a fundamental loathing for being near or in last place – what we call “last place aversion.” This fear can lead people near the bottom of the income distribution to oppose redistribution because it might allow people at the very bottom to catch up with them.
mk: It is surprising to me that this isn't just a 'socialism is bad' kind of thing. But does it really map onto the current situation? OWS isn't about about raising the minimum wage or giving the poorest the most. I'm not sure any recent politics have had that focus. Even 'Joe the plumber' was about increased taxes on people making over $250k, and most people that object to that redistribution don't make close to that much, -including Joe himself.IMO this is idealism on a quasi-religious level. It's less about evidence, and more about principle. The idea that 'government is the problem' has spread very effectively. I think it satisfies some basic need.